4 Lessons I Learned After Leaving My Job

In 2011, when journalists were being laid off left and right, I did the unthinkable: I resigned from my newspaper job.

It’s not that I disliked my job. In fact, I loved a lot about it (most sportswriters do). But I knew it wasn’t sustainable. From pay freezes to furloughs, the writing on the wall was clear: journalism was in a bad place. I knew if I wanted to continue as a writer, I needed to think outside the box.

So I did. And I wrote a book in the process.

I began writing on July 5, 2011. My daily schedule went something like this: get up at dawn, write until lunch, run to the gym, play basketball (like an actor getting into character), run home, write until dinner, and work on my publishing company until bedtime. Then get up the next day and do it all over again.

Eleven months later, “The Chosen Ones: The Team That Beat LeBron” was born.

In some ways, that was one of the best years of my life. It was also, without question, one of the most difficult. I was 26, living at home, with no income. I had no car (it died a week after I submitted my resignation), I worked almost every waking hour, and there was no guarantee anyone would buy (or read) the finished product.

Anxiety? I had it. Self-doubt? I felt it.

But I got through it. And I learned some life-changing lessons along the way.

Turn challenges into opportunities

In 2009, one year into my career, I could see where journalism was headed, and I began weighing my options. What about a different newspaper? What about a different market? But I knew the same problems—low pay, the constant threat of layoffs, minimal opportunities for advancement—would follow.

At that point, it would have been easy to get discouraged—and certainly I had my moments.

What if I get laid off? What would I do then? And even if I don’t get laid off, how will I ever save enough money to move out? Buy a house? Start a family?

I would go to Chipotle before covering a game, feeling guilty about how many hours I’d have to work to afford a burrito with a side of guac.

It was that bad.

But eventually, my competitive nature kicked in; my perspective evolved. Instead of drowning in career and financial uncertainty, I embraced it as a challenge and started to swim upstream. The field, and the economy, had established the rules of the game. It was on me to overcome those obstacles and find a way to win.

So I dug in and doubled down. I wrote extra columns, pursued new content series, and started two blogs: one professional, one personal. I freelanced for other outlets, booked radio gigs with increasing regularity, and grew my professional network.

By 2011, I had paid off my student loans and was ready to make the most consequential decision of my career. I was ready to leave my job.

Take chances (and sooner rather than later)

After the book launch, I spoke at a lot of colleges and universities, urging students to take advantage of their 20s. When I resigned from my job, I was 26 and single with minimal obligations.

“What if I waited until I was 36 to write a book?” I asked each audience. “What if I had a wife? A kid? A mortgage?”

Now 36, I have all three.

People can take chances at any point in life, but it’s easier to do so when you’re young. At that point, your focus shouldn’t (just) be “making money” and “saving for retirement.” Your focus should be taking chances and standing out in your field. If you can do both at the same time, fantastic. But be willing to think outside the box. Be willing to be impractical.

Certainly not everyone in my life thought walking away from my paycheck was a wise move. I listened to their concerns and understood where they were coming from. But ultimately, this was a chance I needed to take. So I took it.

Focus on process, not results

When I began writing and publishing the book, my goal wasn’t to become a New York Times Best Selling author (which I’m not). It was simply to write and publish a book.

By focusing on the day-to-day process—writing, editing, fact-checking—one chapter became two; two became three. I hired designers, met with lawyers, and selected a printing company. After the book launch, I partnered with book stores and distributors to get “The Chosen Ones” in as many hands as possible.

Through it all, I learned how to promote, negotiate, and be my own boss.

The book didn’t crack the New York Times Best Seller list, but it did receive national publicity. It also opened countless doors and kickstarted a decade of self-employment, one that allowed me to transition from journalism to ghostwriting and find my niche in the writing world.

Be patient

In life, it’s important to have a sense of urgency. It’s even more important to have a plan.

A lot of people know where they want to be, but they don’t quite know how to get there. That’s okay. Success does not happen overnight. The journey can be long. Navigation is sometimes tricky. As long as you understand your goals and can see the bigger picture, you’ll get there.

I’m proof. Even though I could see where journalism was headed, it took me two years to decide my next step (write and publish a book). After the book launch, it took me another year to plot my next move (relocate to Chicago and give freelancing a shot). And it took 10 years for the book to get its big break: a 10-minute feature on SportsCenter.

“Be quick,” John Wooden used to say, “but don’t hurry.”

It’s important to have a plan—and a sense of urgency. Be intentional about what you want to accomplish, but be willing to be patient. You’ll be better for it more often than not.

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Writing the book changed my life and career, and in hindsight, it’s incredible to think of all the twists and turns that led me to where I am.

At the time, people had no idea how I was able to write and publish a 372-page book from my mother’s kitchen table—in under a year, no less. But by that point, I didn’t have any other options. I had a laptop and a dream. That was about it.

When assessing career goals, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But you can’t go from A to Z without going from A to B first.

Was it risky to walk away from my paycheck? Sure. But the bigger risk would have been doing nothing at all.

If you don’t like the writing on the wall, try to change it. If you can’t change it, find another room. Ultimately, only one person is responsible for your success.

You.

Tony Meale is a Chicago-based author, ghostwriter, and guest speaker. He has a master’s degree in journalism from Ohio University and is the author of “The Chosen Ones: The Team That Beat LeBron”. He can be reached at info@tonymeale.com.